Commemorate the 165th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War by exploring Missouri’s pivotal role in the conflict at the Library’s inaugural Remembering the Civil War in Missouri series, presented by Local History & Genealogy. Through events with historians and authors, explore the war from the perspective of common soldiers who fought in major battles and participated in the destructive guerrilla warfare that shaped much of Missouri’s Civil War experience.
Terrors & Trials: Henry and Cimbaline Fike's Civil War Story
Drawing on more than 400 Civil War letters, historian Jeremy Neely will explore the experiences of Henry and Lucy Fike as they navigated war on the battlefield and the home front at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Library Center Hatch Auditorium. Henry served with the 117th Illinois,
marching from St. Louis toward the Kansas border in pursuit of Sterling Price's Confederate forces in 1864. Lucy managed life in Mascoutah, Illinois, raising their young child while taking on added responsibilities at home and supporting local Union efforts. Their correspondence offers a personal look at the challenges, sacrifices and daily realities of Civil War life for soldiers and families alike.
Life With the "Mountain Feds": Civil War in the Ozarks
Although Arkansas joined the Confederacy in 1861, about 10,000 men from the state served in the Union Army. The state’s best-known Union regiment, the 1st Arkansas Cavalry, fought guerrilla forces throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. On Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Library Center Hatch Auditorium, Local History Associate Michael Price will discuss this unique regiment and the challenges it faced.
Greyhounds: 1st Iowa Infantry & Wilson’s Creek Campaign
Jeffrey Patrick, author and editor of numerous books and articles on 19th- and 20th-century American military history, is completing a book-length history of the 1st Iowa Infantry during the Civil War. Patrick will examine the regiment’s pivotal role in Missouri in 1861 as well as its postwar legacy at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Library Center Hatch Auditorium.
Morgan Shannon is a copywriter for the Springfield-Greene County Library District. She can be reached at morgans@thelibrary.org.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Learn about the Civil War in Missouri with these Library presentations
